BOOMERS – Your Crisis Has Arrived

[BadJuju]

Re: BOOMERS – Your Crisis Has Arrived

"Modern" as in "modern crisis" is relative. As described in Jarod Diamond's book Collapse, there may never be a new high. Could be, we just lived through the greatest, most comfortable times we will see for hundreds of years.

I fail to see why. There may be new obstacles to face, but the only inhibition to adaption and progress is short-sightedness and selfishness.

Energy shortage? How can there be an energy shortage when there are ample energy sources in the form of thorium, uranium, solar, wind, tidal, and geothermal power? Deforestation can be stopped and reforestation can overcome it. So on and so forth. The main things I am concerned about are climate change and soil erosion; however, I think people are beginning to realize that conventional agricultural practices have drastically altered long-term production yields, making it an untenable practice for future growth.

[GRG55]

Re: BOOMERS – Your Crisis Has Arrived

"Modern" as in "modern crisis" is relative. As described in Jarod Diamond's book Collapse, there may never be a new high. Could be, we just lived through the greatest, most comfortable times we will see for hundreds of years.

If "greatest, most comfortable times" means multiple big screen TVs scattered around the McMansion, more registered vehicles than licensed drivers, an overpriced vacation home or two, gluttonous consumption of pre-prepared foods, a pill for every ailment including obesity, a granite counter in every kitchen, and a mall on every corner, then yes it could be hundreds of years before we again achieve such plenty...

[jtabeb]

Re: BOOMERS – Your Crisis Has Arrived

But if the other 2% start a revolution, that's a serious problem because you're now fighting for the hearts and minds of the 98% who only want to get along.

;)

That's about all I can say about that.

[Beavus]

Re: BOOMERS – Your Crisis Has Arrived

As an X-Gen myself, I say its fitting the boomers go out with a boom. Or more a KA-POOOOOM!!!!!

I pitty the boomers. I don't think they will ever get to retire. They will leave there jobs when they pass away.

The 2 major types of retirement packages, 401ks and pensions, sold to the babyboomer generation may not have the value needed to allow them to retire.

Inflation wipes out pensions.
Inflation wipes out 401ks
What is left to retire with... Oh yea, social security will save the day!

[BadJuju]

Re: BOOMERS – Your Crisis Has Arrived

I pitty the boomers. I don't think they will ever get to retire. They will leave there jobs when they pass away.

Can't say I feel sorry for a generation that set all of this up to occur. Reap what you sow, ya know.

[johnnybill45]

Re: BOOMERS – Your Crisis Has Arrived

Not all boomers created this crisis, only a tiny percentage. No matter. Whether you're a Gen-X, Echo-Boomer or whatever, greed will still manifest itself in our future leaders and continue to screw up systems that we think are so beautiful.

Luckily, I don't listen to stock advisors and various market pundits, but I did listen to Ed J.'s book: America's Bubble Economy; and pulled out of the market with 90% cash, 10% gold right before the crash. Still, as a boomer, I'll have to work longer than I'd like - at a job that is barely tolerable. But I don't blame myself for the crisis.

I didn't buy an overpriced house. In fact, I'm a renter. I'm not a "consumer" that fuels the economy. I'm a saver.

[junkacc]

Re: BOOMERS – Your Crisis Has Arrived

The boomers set us up the bomb

[Penguin]

Re: BOOMERS – Your Crisis Has Arrived

On the subject of Boomers and their reaction to this current economic situation, I had no choice but to listen in on a conversation yesterday between two boomer ladies. Probably approaching retirement or thereabouts, late 50s to early 60s. I was in the gym on the treadmill trying to run off the soreness from a trail run a day earlier. These ladies took the one beside me and started discussing things.

Apparently the husband of one works at BofA in some management position. She opined that Barney Frank was an imbecile and the congressional hearings this week were a dog and pony show of high order. 'OK, so far so good' I'm thinking between huffs and puffs. But she is mad as hell that the government seems intent on imposing salary caps on, in her words, 'the free market'.

Money quote: "Best thing they can do is give all that money back!"

At this point my brain is twitching and I think "You're lucky I'm not president lady, your husband would be on government payscale. And they wouldn't 'give' back a cent, they would instead be stripped of everything and put into receivership."

Alas, instead as lunchtime ended I showered and returned to the design cave.

As I said, there is a lot of frustration and denial still to be had in this area. The belief that the 'free market' can solve this on its own approaches the religious. And a reluctance to admit that it was all a scam isn't uttered in some quarters.

An interesting tidbit about the Charlotte area: in spite of the fact that BofA financed so much of this real estate boondoggle there are only isolated pockets in the metro area that saw a runup of real estate prices in an extreme way. Some areas escaped it almost entirely. Lake Norman, where a lot of the NASCAR elite live, saw perhaps the biggest rise and fits the overpriced, terrible traffic stereotype. And there are some really pricy areas downtown.

Just a snapshot of one area that might interest folks.

Will